The present invention relates to a machine for cutting grass and the like, of the type comprising a grass-cutting plate situated in the front part of the machine, a storage container located between the axes of rotation of the front and rear wheels of the machine and means for moving the container designed to cause the outward movement thereof and overturning of the container so as to unload the cut grass in the longitudinal direction and towards the rear of the machine.
In the art numerous types of self-propelled means for cutting the grass of lawns, both large and small in size, are known. In particular European patent No. 0,619,065 in the name of the same applicant discloses a grass-cutting machine, comprising means for steering the machine, a grass-cutting plate comprising at least one pair of propellers made to rotate by associated power transmission means operated by the motor, a part for protecting said propellers and a duct extending from the protection part towards the container for storing the cut grass, in which the action of pushing the cut grass towards the said container is performed by the pressure generated by the propellers; said machine is characterized in that the grass-cutting plate is situated in the front part of the machine, the duct extends towards the central part of the machine and the storage container is located between the axes of rotation of the front wheels and rear wheels of the machine.
In this machine unloading of the container with the cut grass is performed by extracting the container laterally in a projecting manner and overturning it for emptying thereof, thus limiting the use of the machine to small-size lawns, since it is not possible to increase the volume of the container both for space-related reasons and so as not to produce an excess load which would cause tipping over during unloading.
Machines especially designed for large-area lawns are also known, said machines being equipped with a container for the cut grass having a volume which is much larger, with unloading thereof being performed in the longitudinal direction from the rear of the machine.
On account of the dimensions of the container, the machines, however, have the bin arranged in an upper position with respect to the axes of the wheels, resulting in the need to use auxiliary turbines in order to push the cut grass inside the said container; on the other hand, the container may be arranged lower down, but at the rear of the machine, resulting in an increase in the dimensions of the latter and the need to arrange the grass-cutting plate in a position between the axes of the wheels, with the disadvantages of the machines of this type which do not allow visual monitoring of the cutting direction as in front-cutting machines.
The technical problem which is posed, therefore, is that of providing a grass-cutting machine which, while retaining the advantages of front-cutting machines with a central storage container, allows the possibility of having a large volume of the container and performing unloading of the latter in the longitudinal direction and towards the rear of the said machine.
Within the scope of this problem, a further requirement is that the container should be able to be unloaded both at a small height from the ground and at a large height from the ground so as to be able to perform said unloading directly into the body of a lorry or a trailer for transportation of the cut grass.
These technical problems are solved according to the present invention by a machine for cutting grass and the like, of the type comprising a grass-cutting plate situated in the front part of the machine, a storage container located between the axes of rotation of the front and rear wheels of the machine and connected to the said plate by means of an associated duct, said machine being provided with means for moving the container designed to cause the outward movement and overturning of the container so as to unload the cut grass in the longitudinal direction and towards the rear of the machine.